Written Answers

Monday 20 March 2000

Scottish Executive

Air Accident

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lord Advocate has seen the Boscombe Down report on FADEC and, if so, whether it was disclosed to the Fatal Accident Inquiry into the Chinook helicopter crash on Mull of Kintyre in 1994 and, if not, whether he will request a copy.

Colin Boyd QC: As has already been explained, allegations about the FADEC software were not made until after the Fatal Accident Inquiry had taken place. The Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence explained to the House of Lords on 1 November 1999 (HL Debs, Col 656), that Boscombe Down was unable to evaluate FADEC because it did not have the necessary equipment. In answer to a request from the Crown Office for information about the allegations about FADEC, the Ministry of Defence also explained that for that reason the evaluation had been contracted out to those who did have the necessary equipment and that it had been found that FADEC posed no flight safety risks. The solicitors, who had raised the question about FADEC, were advised in writing of the position.

  The recent National Audit Office report bearing on this matter is under consideration and the matter will be looked at again following the consideration of that report by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee.

Air Accident

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether they will seek further information and clarification from the Ministry of Defence regarding the FADEC system following the National Audit Office report Accepting Equipment Off Contract and Into Service , published on 11 February 2000.

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it proposes to instigate an investigation into the cause of the Chinook crash on the Mull of Kintyre, the actions of the Ministry of Defence or any other aspect of the incident in the light of the National Audit Office report Accepting Equipment Off Contract and Into Service , published on 11 February 2000.

Colin Boyd QC: This matter will be looked at again once the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has considered the National Audit Office Report.

Crofting

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the reduction in financial support under the Crofters Building Grants and Loan Scheme will have upon levels of population in the Western Isles and in each of the crofting counties.

Ross Finnie: There has been no reduction in financial support under the Crofters Etc. Building Grants and Loans Scheme. The changes to the scheme which I made recently will widen access to assistance and therefore make it possible for more people in crofting areas to provide affordable housing for their families.

Crofting

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the levels of financial assistance available to crofters for house improvements under the Crofters Building Grants and Loan Scheme.

Ross Finnie: In the course of the current spending review I will examine all aspects of Rural Affairs Department expenditure including the Crofters Etc. Building Grants and Loan Scheme.

Crofting

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre a copy of the letter written by its Chief Agricultural Officer to administrators of the Crofters Building Grants and Loan Scheme as referred to in The Herald of Wednesday 1 March 2000, whether there will be any job redundancies of those administrators as a result of any changes to the scheme; whether it remains committed to providing the scheme and, if so, why it has reduced the financial benefits available under it and whether it will publish the rates for grant and loans for building a house (a) at 1990 levels and (b) at current levels, in real terms.

Ross Finnie: I am arranging for a copy of the Chief Agricultural Officer’s letter to be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

  Efficiency savings in administering the Crofters Etc. Building Grants and Loan Scheme (CBGLS) mean that workloads throughout the nine Area Offices in the Highlands and Islands may reduce in total by the equivalent of five to seven posts. We aim to avoid compulsory redundancies and will explore ways of achieving this e.g. by redeployment of staff to other work.

  The Executive recognises that CBGLS plays a significant role in retaining population levels in the crofting areas. The overall financial benefits available under CBGLS have not been reduced. Rather, the recent adjustments have allowed them to be extended more widely.

  The rates for grant/loan in 1990 and at present for new houses are:

  



Grant

  

Loan

  



Up to 15 

  May 1990

  

50% of the 

  cost of eligible work up to a maximum of £8,700

  

Up to a 

  maximum of £13,500

  



From 16 

  May 1990

  

50% of the 

  cost of eligible work up to a maximum of £11,500

  

Up to a 

  maximum of £17,500

  



From 1 January 

  2000

  

£11,500

  

Up to a 

  maximum of £17,500

  



  Using the GDP deflator the current maximum assistance of £29,000 would be worth £22,230 at 1990-91 prices.

Education

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any information from Moray Council regarding the current and projected rolls for Boharm School since the previous figures were circulated and, if so, what the updated figures are.

Peter Peacock: Moray Council’s proposal to close Boharm Primary School requires the consent of the Scottish Ministers. The council’s application has been received. We are aware that there have been some variations in current rolls and in projections. We shall take all relevant considerations, including roll projections and the factors underlying them, into account before reaching a decision.

Executive Expenditure

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its total spending has been on external consultants and contractors since 1 July 1999 broken down by department.

Mr Jack McConnell: The information requested is set out below broken by department (with executive agencies shown in brackets). Total expenditure by Scottish Executive departments, plus their executive agencies, with external suppliers, including external consultants, over the period from 1 July 1999 to 29 February is estimated as £200 million, of which it is estimated that £1.6 million was in respect of external consultants.

  


Development 

  Department

  

£43.9 

  million

  



Education 

  Department (Historic Scotland, Scottish Public Pensions Agency)

  

£26.6 

  million

  



Enterprise 

  and Lifelong Learning Department (Student Awards Agency for 

  Scotland)

  

£3.1 

  million

  



Health Department

  

£3.2 

  million

  



Justice 

  Department (Scottish Prison Service, Scottish Court Service)

  

£72.6 

  million

  



Rural Affairs 

  Department (Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency, Scottish Agricultural 

  Science Agency, Fisheries Research Services)

  

£21.2 

  million

  



Central 

  Support *

  

£20.1 

  million

  



Crown Office 

  and Procurator Fiscal Service

  

£6.6 

  million

  



General 

  Register Office for Scotland

  

£0.9 

  million

  



National 

  Archives of Scotland

  

£0.5 

  million

  



Registers 

  of Scotland

  

£0.9 

  million

  



  * Includes Corporate Services, Executive Secretariat and Finance.

Fuel Poverty

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will prioritise action to end fuel poverty as one of its social justice targets in view of this winter’s record level of "excess winter deaths".

Mr Frank McAveety: We are already prioritising action through the Healthy Homes Initiative, which includes the Warm Deal, under which 100,000 vulnerable households will have their homes insulated over the lifetime of this Administration. This is in addition to the £100 Winter Fuel Allowance, the minimum income guarantee for pensioners, and a continuing fall in fuel prices.

Fuel Poverty

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what it intends to do to tackle fuel poverty following the record level of "excess winter deaths" this winter.

Mr Frank McAveety: Works to improve home insulation may well help to reduce the number of excess winter deaths. The Executive is committed to insulating 25,000 houses each year under the Warm Deal. 100,000 vulnerable households will benefit during the lifetime of this Administration. The Warm Deal can lead to savings of up to £170 in annual fuel bills. This is in addition to the £100 Winter Fuel Allowance, the minimum income guarantee for pensioners, and a continuing fall in fuel prices.

Gaelic

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total amount of public funding is currently spent annually on education courses for prospective teachers of Gaelic.

Mr Sam Galbraith: There are currently a total of 35 Gaelic-speaking students on Initial Teacher Training courses. Of these, 14, including nine post-graduate students, graduate this year. This represents a cost of approximately £290,000.

  In addition, in 1999 the Scottish Executive funded a Gaelic Medium Subject Specialist Teachers Course for secondary teachers. This was run by Sabhal Mor Ostaig at a total cost of £66,000. This year and next similar GMST courses will be run. Their costs will be in the same region but the precise amounts will depend on teacher numbers.

Ministerial Correspondence

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to reply to my letter of 3 July 1999 to the Minister for Health and Community Care regarding Mr W J Webber.

Iain Gray: As Mr Morgan will be aware, I wrote to him on 5 January addressing Mr Webber’s concerns on care arrangements for people with dementia. I regret the delay in responding. I will be writing shortly in relation to Mr Morgan’s further letter of 1 February relating to similar matters.

Police

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the increased use of CS gas by Scottish police forces is detrimental to the health of (a) the police officers using it and (b) the people it is used on.

Mr Jim Wallace: A report by the UK Department of Health’s independent expert Committee on Toxicity, published in September 1999, did not give rise to any concerns over the health effects of CS spray which would cause the police service to stop using CS spray as an incapacitant, subject to the importance of adhering to operational guidelines for its use.

Police

Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how the funding which enables police forces to patrol motorways and trunk roads is calculated.

Mr Jim Wallace: The deployment of resources for patrolling motorways and trunk roads is an operational matter for Chief Constables. Funding for the police is provided annually through the GAE process and resources are not allocated to specific operational areas or policing tasks.

Streetlighting

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any default notices have been issued to Mouchel and, if so, how many.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive do not release commercially sensitive information relating to contractual arrangements with Management Agents or Operating Companies.

Tourism

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that the new accommodation booking service, Project OSSIAN, will meet the needs of small hotels, guests houses and bed and breakfasts with less than five rooms, what consultation it has had with such accommodation providers regarding OSSIAN and what feedback it has received.

Henry McLeish: Every member of an Area Tourist Board is given a free entry on the Internet through the Ossian system. Small businesses therefore receive high exposure and market reach in a very cost-effective way. Area Tourist Boards keep in regular contact with their members and conduct satisfaction surveys to ensure a high level of service delivery is achieved.

Tourism

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what part improved signage of tourist attractions and tourist facilities will play in the implementation of the national tourism strategy.

Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive is very aware of the importance of clear road signage to tourist attractions and has regular contact with the Scottish Tourist Board on this matter. A New Strategy for Scottish Tourism highlights the importance of the quality of our attractions and facilities. Tourist signage plays a valuable role in enhancing this quality by easing accessibility.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the new Joint Board for the Forth Road Bridge will have powers to fund and support ferry services.

Sarah Boyack: As the Executive announced in publishing its proposals for the Integrated Transport Bill on 10 February, the new Joint Board for the Forth will have wider powers to fund public transport alternatives relating to the Forth crossings. The Executive will be consulting relevant local authorities and other interested parties on the scope of these wider powers, including whether they shall extend to the support of ferry services.

Transport

Allan Wilson (Cunninghame North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any proposals to review the Local Authorities’ Traffic Orders (Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 1999 (No.614 S.38) to facilitate local authorities introducing Traffic Regulation Orders timeously.

Sarah Boyack: We have no proposals to review these regulations.

  The 1999 regulations replaced, after widespread consultation, previous Regulations which had been in force since 1987. The decision to revise the regulations was based on a desire to make the procedures more efficient and easier for Order-making authorities to understand. At the same time, the new procedures continue to safeguard the interests of road users and the public at large.

  Among the changes introduced was a provision requiring that all new Orders must be in force within two years of the date on which the proposals were first published. This provision had not previously been provided for and was inserted to prevent local authorities bringing orders into force a number of years after they were proposed. Other changes included a more efficient consultation process and, as a result of this, the previous requirement on local authorities to advertise proposed orders in the Edinburgh Gazette was removed. Finally, a streamlined procedure was introduced for certain types of non-contentious order such as those whose sole effect would be to vary an existing order to include an exemption for disabled persons.

Warm Deal and Healthy Homes Initiative

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the take-up for the Warm Deal has been against target since the scheme’s inception.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Programme for Government records the Executive’s commitment that 25,000 homes will benefit annually from the Warm Deal. The most recent figures show that, since 1 April 1999, 31,000 homes have been insulated. The target for the year has therefore been exceeded.

Warm Deal and Healthy Homes Initiative

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the take-up of its Healthy Homes Initiative has been against target since inception.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Healthy Homes Initiative covers action to tackle dampness through local authorities and housing associations as landlords, under the New Housing Partnership Initiative, and through the Warm Deal. The latest returns for the Warm Deal show that 31,000 households have already benefited and final results for the year to 31 March 2000 will be published in the summer. The total number of houses benefiting from the Healthy Homes Initiative in 1999-2000 will be known towards the end of this year when social landlords report on their expenditure to 31 March 2000.

Warm Deal and Healthy Homes Initiative

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many homes have benefited from the Healthy Homes Initiative as distinct from the Warm Deal.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Healthy Homes Initiative covers action to tackle dampness through local authorities and housing associations and under the New Housing Partnership Initiative, which the Executive is supporting with substantial resources. The number of houses benefiting from works to tackle dampness in 1999-2000 will be known towards the end of this year when those bodies report on their expenditure to 31 March 2000.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Parliament Artwork

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will consider holding a schools competition and using the artwork of children from schools throughout Scotland for the new Parliament building in order to encourage child art and to provide artwork without great cost.

Sir David Steel: I have passed this suggestion to the client side who will arrange for it to be considered by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body at an appropriate stage.

  Last October I unveiled the site hoarding decorated with artwork by Primary 6 children from all parts of Scotland. Out of 2,400 schools invited to submit entries 1,442 were submitted. This artwork is to be displayed on the hoarding for the duration of the project and positive feedback from participants and visitors to the site has been received.